1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system which is capable of performing an image processing operation suitable for the performance of each device in the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When two printers capable of different performance are connected to an input side of an image information processing system, a selection is made between the two printers unless the two printers must simultaneously be operated. However, in an image information processing system having a plurality of terminals, if both input and output devices have input and output densities (e.g., the input device has an input density or a resolution of 8, 12 or 16 lines/mm), the output device must have a resolution comparable to that of the input device. This has imposed a limit in the flexibility of the system. In a system having a single input device and a plurality of output devices, it is difficult to connect output devices of different resolutions. When output devices of different resolutions are actually connected to the system and when outputs must be produced from more than one of the output devices, selection among the performances of the selected output devices presents a problem. When the performance of the output device having the lowest resolution is selected, higher performances of other output devices cannot be utilized. In addition, even if the performance of the output device having the lowest resolution is selected, other problems are still encountered. For example, a great difference occurs between the input and output information (when information inputted through an input device having a resolution of 16 lines/mm is directly outputted through an output device having a resolution of 12 lines/mm, the ratio of an input area to an output area becomes the second power of 16/12), so that an optical output cannot be obtained.